After condemning Kyrie Irving’s endorsement of a movie containing antisemitic elements, LeBron James is criticizing the Nets, too, for the degree of discipline levied against Irving.
The Lakers star called the Nets’ punishment – an unpaid suspension of at least five games, plus a series of steps to complete – “excessive.”
“I told you guys that I don’t believe in sharing hurtful information. And I’ll continue to be that way,” James wrote on Twitter on Thursday, “but Kyrie apologized and he should be able to play. That’s what I think. It’s that simple. Help him learn — but he should be playing. What he’s asked to do to get back on the floor I think is excessive [in my opinion]. He’s not the person that’s being portrayed of him. Anyways back to my rehab session.”
The Nets’ game in Los Angeles against the Clippers on Saturday will be the fifth without Irving, which theoretically could pave the way for the star’s return Sunday against James’ Lakers.
But the Nets reportedly laid out a six-point plan for Irving to check off before he could rejoin a team that called him “currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets.”
As James mentioned, Irving apologized after the suspension was issued, which was the first step. The Nets also reportedly have required both sensitivity and antisemitic training, as well as a monetary donation and meetings with Jewish leaders and Nets owner Joe Tsai.
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The Nets are not publicly revealing which he has checked off. On Wednesday, GM Sean Marks and new head coach Jacque Vaughn said they have not spoken recently with Irving, though Marks said he has talked with Irving’s representation.
Two weeks ago, Irving shared a movie that offered Black Hebrew Israelites beliefs and included antisemitic tropes, such as questioning the Holocaust. Irving initially refused to outright state he held no antisemitic beliefs.
James, who holds plenty of power in the league, is a former teammate of Irving’s with the Cavaliers and whose Lakers could be interested in Irving, said last week he doesn’t “respect” or “condone” Irving “promoting, soliciting or saying harmful things to any community that harms people.”
“I hope he understands that what he said was harmful to a lot of people,” James told reporters Friday. “As humans, none of us are perfect. But I hope he understands what he did or the actions he took was harmful to a lot of people.”
James has been one of the few in the NBA to speak out against Irving sharing the movie.
Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who, like Irving, is a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, told the Boston Globe this week that he expects the union to appeal the suspension.
